In Sermon Illustrations: "Martin Luther King"

The First And Second Great Revival

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 24, 2018

The first recorded revival in Christian history happened from a prayer meeting that took place with a handful of disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:14). The result of that prayer meeting was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:2-4, Acts 4:23-24

Tags: Revival, Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Hero Vs Hero Maker

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 28, 2018

What does it mean to be a hero maker? A hero maker is a leader who shifts from being the hero to making others the hero in God's unfolding story. Real hero makers first die to any vision of personal glory. The dying involves a very real transition, one of grief and loss of ever becoming that ...read more

Scripture: John 14:12, Matthew 6:33

Tags: Leadership, Disciple Making, Leadership Training

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Make Disciples - There Is No "Plan B"

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 9, 2018

Here's the thing that can be difficult to wrap our minds around: If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples. Many of us serve in or lead churches where we have hundreds or even thousands of people showing up on Sunday. But we have to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Discipleship, Disciple Maker

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Good Pilots Do What It Takes To Get Their Passengers Home.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 9, 2018

A good pilot does what it takes to get his passengers home. A good example of this, is the story of a flight when the attendant told everyone to take their seats because of impending turbulence. It was a rowdy flight; the folks weren’t quick to respond; so she warned them again. “The flight is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:3-11

Tags: Listening To God, Hearing From God, Gods Voice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Legalism, Rules And Judging Others

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Nov 12, 2018

Charles Price (pastor of The Peoples Church in Toronto) tells the story of a friend of his who went to the Netherlands to share the gospel with Dutch people and became friends with many Dutch Christians. He was amazed to find out how distressed Dutch Christians were with the state of American ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1

Tags: Legalism Vs Liberty, Rules

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Inner Life - To Few Who Love The Cross

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 22, 2019

Thomas a Kempis wrote: Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Submission, Carry Your Cross

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Eating The Wrong Cookies - Assumptions

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 30, 2019

A traveller, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies. Then she sat down and began reading a newspaper. Gradually, she became aware of a rustling noise. From behind her paper, she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to her ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 9:1-14

Tags: Deception, Assumptions, Satan's Craftiness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Unforgettable Bombs - All We Can Do Is Pray?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 30, 2019

Elmer Bendiner, a crewmember in a World War II B-17 bomber, the Tondalayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion, the gas tanks were hit. Later Elmer reflected on the miracle of a 20 mm shell piercing the fuel tank without touching ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-11, James 5:15, Psalm 34:15

Tags: Prayer, Power In Prayer, Intersession, Watchman Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Blueprints For Your Children’s Character

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 15, 2020

There is a Minister who received an urgent note that said that a man in his congregation wanted to get a hold of him. The man’s problems have been 10 years in the making but have become urgent when the consequences of neglect suddenly materialized. The minister met the man at his office. He was a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 7:9

Tags: Children, Parenting, Blueprints

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Anxiety And Relationships

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 27, 2020

Anxiety can be the ruin or the salvation of our relationships. It is an alarm mechanism. It alerts us to potential danger. But sometimes it goes off too often or quickly. Sometimes we do not seem able to regulate it. Shocked, we lash out, hold our ground, or retreat. However, anxiety can be our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Tags: Anxiety, Relationships

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Maturity

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 27, 2020

Automatic behaviour is the hallmark of immature people bent on survival, they accept few challenges and experience little growth. Immature people react with a small part of themselves to a small part of the world. They limit themselves by paying attention only to what is close-up, by focusing on ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24

Tags: Maturity, Immaturity

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Hope For When Christ Comes

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 27, 2021

This two-part story can frame a message on heaven, hope or the resurrection. The 1989 Armenian earthquake needed only 4 minutes to flatten the nation and kill 30,000 people. Moments after the deadly tremor ceased, a father raced to an elementary school to save his son. When he arrived, he saw that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 1 Corinthians 15:17, 1 Corinthians 15:23, Romans 6:5-9

Tags: Resurrection, Heaven, Hope

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Humility

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 27, 2021

The Western meaning of humility derives from the usage of the Hebrew speaking Jews, Latin speaking Romans and the Greeks, in particular Greek speaking Christians of the first century. In all three languages the word used to describe humility means "low", as in low to the ground: the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Service, Humility, Power

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

How Are You Doing?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

There's a story about a little girl who came home from school one day, and her mother met her at the door: Hi! How was school today? How are you doing? With the honesty of little people, the girl replied, Oh, not so well, mommy. My tummy hurts! Mothers know everything, and this mommy had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5-6

Tags: Joke, Child Misunderstanding

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Courage

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

Mary Slesser (1848-1915) when Mary was a teenager, she volunteered to help organize a mission in the slums of Scotland. Despite Mary's genuine and caring efforts, many of the people the mission was designed to help oppose the work because they felt it avoided the "real" needs of the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:6-14

Tags: Mission Work, Mary Slesser, Courage

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The World's Most Unwanted Ship

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

The Pellicano is the world's most unwanted ship. Since 1986 she has been the hobo of the high seas. No one wants her. Sri Lanka doesn't. Bermuda doesn't. The Dominican Republic turned her away. So did the Netherlands, the Antilles, and Honduras. The problem is not the boat. Though ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:5, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8

Tags: Guilt, Pessimism, Deceit, Sin, Anxiety, Transformation, Bitterness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God With Us - Immanuel (Charles Spurgeon)

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 5, 2021

(Charles Spurgeon December 24, 1854) Do you know the full meaning of that name Immanuel, “God with us”? No, he who knows it best knows little of it. Alas, he who knows it not at all is ignorant indeed, so ignorant that his ignorance is not bliss, but will be his damnation. Oh! may God teach you the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:10-15

Tags: Heaven's Hallelujah, Sufferer's Comfort, Christmas, Immanuel, God With Us, Charles Spurgeon  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Cost Of Redemption - Hosea Buys Back Gomer

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 27, 2022

One man started the bidding: “12 pieces of silver!” “13!” Said Hosea. “14 pieces of silver!” Hosea’s bid was “15!” The low bidders were beginning to drop out, but one man continued bidding: “15 pieces of silver and five bushels of barley!” Hosea said, “15 pieces of silver, 5 bushels of barley and a ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 3:1-5, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 8:38

Tags: Hosea, Redemption, Covenant Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Judas Had The Best Pastor, The Best Leader, The Best Advisor

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Mar 27, 2022

Judas had the best pastor, the best leader, the best advisor, and the best counsellor. Yet he failed. The problem may not be the leadership or the church you go to. If your attitude or character ...read more

Tags: Betrayal, Character, Transformation, Judas

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Power Of Embraced Sacrifice Is Greater Than The Power Of Coercion

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 8, 2022

"The cross has become the most widely recognized symbol in the world. It marks more graves, graces more jewelry, and sits atop more churches than any other design. The making of the sign of the cross is known from basilicas to baseball diamonds. Finding a logo has become big business, but no ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:32-42, Mark 15:21-41

Tags: Sacrifice, The Cross, Symbols

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed